Holiday hullabaloo

Groups of friends and families are major forces behind bookings for the holiday, as college students account for a diminishing proportion.

It's yet to be announced whether they can leave their campuses to travel, which will significantly affect tourism during the holiday, Peng says.

Chen Mengyun plans to visit Tibet with friends.

"We'll fly to Lhasa and then rent a car to travel around the region," the Beijing resident says.

It'll be her first trip outside of Beijing since the outbreak.

Chen says their rough itinerary has been settled, and they'll make it a point to visit temples and historical sites.

"The idea of going out with my friends is exciting," she says.

"We've been looking forward to traveling together for a long time."